Baxley: It's an over-reach

Published: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 4:42 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 4:42 p.m.

A North Florida gun show promoter says she supports President Barack Obama's call to require criminal background checks on all gun sales, including private sales, but could not support a proposed ban on assault weapons.

Cliffhangers Gun Show promoter Laura Schoenberger will be at the Ramada Inn at U.S. 27 and Interstate 75 in March. She said stricter enforcement of background checks is needed across the board.

On the other hand, she noted that criminals and the mentally unstable are not heading to gun shows to buy their weapons.

"They are stealing the guns or buying them out of a trunk of a car," she said. "When we are uneasy about someone attending one of our gun shows, vendors do not sell them a gun. If they appear drunk, I don't even let them inside."

As far as banning assault weapons, which occurred from 1994 to 2004, the data showed the law had no impact on reducing deaths, said Schoenberger, who owns River City Gun Range in Palatka.

"More people die in the hospital from malpractice than from being shot by an assault weapon," Schoenberger said.

Her comments came Wednesday after Obama announced a plan to curb gun violence, including four issues that will go before Congress.

Besides criminal background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons, Obama also wants to limit magazine clips to 10 rounds and to strengthen the criminal penalties for those convicted of gun trafficking.

Obama also unveiled 23 executive orders, including some that addressed mental health and schools.

Obama ordered federal agencies to contribute relevant data into the criminal background check system. He also wants more dialog in terms of mental health, paving the way for more mental health providers to report potentially dangerous clients.

State Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said he's more concerned about the "democratic republic" than the banning of assault rifles.

"It's frightening to see such a stack of executive orders," said Baxley, adding the orders deal with matters that should be subject to congressional approval.

"I am very concerned about that approach, more so than the gun rights," he said.

Baxley, who sponsored Florida's "stand your ground" law, recently said the state should allow some adults to have guns at schools.

Baxley said after the Newtown, Conn., shooting that schools would be safer if teachers and administrators were allowed to carry guns.

When it comes to banning assault weapons, he said violent crime has been declining in recent years — even though the ban expired in 2004.

"Assault is a behavior, not a type of weapon," Baxley noted.

He also said beefing up criminal background checks for all gun sales, including private sales, is not a viable strategy for gun show vendors, who have no way of performing the task.

"I understand his (Obama) concern," Baxley noted. But implementing 23 executive orders is not the proper route to take for such changes, he said.

Three of Obama's executive orders also included direction to take when it comes to schools.

• "Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations."

Superintendent of Schools George Tomyn said the School District already has model emergency response plans and provides training.

Those plans and training have been updated through the years since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School.

As for school resource officers at elementary schools: According to Tomyn, law enforcement officers believe SROs are a big deterrent when it comes to crime on campuses.

Tomyn would welcome funding for such officers. The estimated cost of putting one in all 30 elementary schools is $1.8 million. The School District already spends $750,000 annually on middle and high school officers.

School Board Chairman Ron Crawford said it remains unclear what "incentives" mean. He said even if the federal government agreed to fund the officers, that funding needed to be permanent.

Crawford pointed to the President Bill Clinton-backed grant money to put 100,000 more police officers on the streets in the 1990s. After three years, the funding went away, leaving cities and counties to pony up the money or reduce manpower.

"What is the incentive, cash?" Crawford asked, adding that targeting mental illness is a good start. "We probably have neglected to find places off the streets for people with mental health issues. That would be a start."

Efforts to reach U.S. Rep. Richard Nugent, who represents much of Marion County in Congress, were unsuccessful.

Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.

<p>A North Florida gun show promoter says she supports President Barack Obama's call to require criminal background checks on all gun sales, including private sales, but could not support a proposed ban on assault weapons.</p><p>Cliffhangers Gun Show promoter Laura Schoenberger will be at the Ramada Inn at U.S. 27 and Interstate 75 in March. She said stricter enforcement of background checks is needed across the board.</p><p>On the other hand, she noted that criminals and the mentally unstable are not heading to gun shows to buy their weapons.</p><p>"They are stealing the guns or buying them out of a trunk of a car," she said. "When we are uneasy about someone attending one of our gun shows, vendors do not sell them a gun. If they appear drunk, I don't even let them inside."</p><p>As far as banning assault weapons, which occurred from 1994 to 2004, the data showed the law had no impact on reducing deaths, said Schoenberger, who owns River City Gun Range in Palatka.</p><p>"More people die in the hospital from malpractice than from being shot by an assault weapon," Schoenberger said.</p><p>Her comments came Wednesday after Obama announced a plan to curb gun violence, including four issues that will go before Congress.</p><p>Besides criminal background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons, Obama also wants to limit magazine clips to 10 rounds and to strengthen the criminal penalties for those convicted of gun trafficking.</p><p>Obama also unveiled 23 executive orders, including some that addressed mental health and schools.</p><p>Obama ordered federal agencies to contribute relevant data into the criminal background check system. He also wants more dialog in terms of mental health, paving the way for more mental health providers to report potentially dangerous clients.</p><p>State Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said he's more concerned about the "democratic republic" than the banning of assault rifles.</p><p>"It's frightening to see such a stack of executive orders," said Baxley, adding the orders deal with matters that should be subject to congressional approval.</p><p>"I am very concerned about that approach, more so than the gun rights," he said.</p><p>Baxley, who sponsored Florida's "stand your ground" law, recently said the state should allow some adults to have guns at schools.</p><p>Baxley said after the Newtown, Conn., shooting that schools would be safer if teachers and administrators were allowed to carry guns.</p><p>When it comes to banning assault weapons, he said violent crime has been declining in recent years — even though the ban expired in 2004.</p><p>"Assault is a behavior, not a type of weapon," Baxley noted.</p><p>He also said beefing up criminal background checks for all gun sales, including private sales, is not a viable strategy for gun show vendors, who have no way of performing the task.</p><p>"I understand his (Obama) concern," Baxley noted. But implementing 23 executive orders is not the proper route to take for such changes, he said.</p><p>Three of Obama's executive orders also included direction to take when it comes to schools.</p><p>• "Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations."</p><p>• "Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers."</p><p>• "Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education."</p><p>Superintendent of Schools George Tomyn said the School District already has model emergency response plans and provides training.</p><p>Those plans and training have been updated through the years since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School.</p><p>As for school resource officers at elementary schools: According to Tomyn, law enforcement officers believe SROs are a big deterrent when it comes to crime on campuses.</p><p>Tomyn would welcome funding for such officers. The estimated cost of putting one in all 30 elementary schools is $1.8 million. The School District already spends $750,000 annually on middle and high school officers.</p><p>School Board Chairman Ron Crawford said it remains unclear what "incentives" mean. He said even if the federal government agreed to fund the officers, that funding needed to be permanent.</p><p>Crawford pointed to the President Bill Clinton-backed grant money to put 100,000 more police officers on the streets in the 1990s. After three years, the funding went away, leaving cities and counties to pony up the money or reduce manpower.</p><p>"What is the incentive, cash?" Crawford asked, adding that targeting mental illness is a good start. "We probably have neglected to find places off the streets for people with mental health issues. That would be a start."</p><p>Efforts to reach U.S. Rep. Richard Nugent, who represents much of Marion County in Congress, were unsuccessful.</p><p>Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.</p>